Articles by Grace Kaucic

Here it is. My absolute final column for The Carroll News. That last one was a fake out. This is it.
Like most of my fellow seniors, I’m going to take this final opportunity to express my most sincere gratitude to everyone who has helped get me to this point.
First and foremost,…

Collaboration, discussion, confronting political issues head-on and maintaining a family-like feel have been the key components that have shaped the African American Alliance, differentiating the organization from others on John Carroll University’s campus. This past year, AAA made a name for itself by dramatically stepping up on-campus events as well as renewing efforts…

In 1951, famed journalist Edward R. Murrow began hosting a radically new radio program called “This I Believe.” This program featured numerous social figures, including Helen Keller, Harry Truman, Jackie Robinson and Eleanor Roosevelt, who wrote and read aloud essays about their personal beliefs. These beliefs ranged from the future of humanity, to the virtue…

Thinking back to almost four years ago, I can remember how ecstatic I was to leave high school and come to John Carroll. The taste of freedom was in the air, and of all the liberties I was finally going to experience, the most important one was no more dress codes.
Since…

Raise your hand if you watched the Academy Awards ceremony this weekend! Now, raise your hand if you have an insane crush on one of the celebrities that graced the ceremony with his or her presence this year.
If I had 10 hands, they would all be in the air. From Bradley Cooper to…

Happy Valentine’s Day to my faithful “Goodness Gracious” readers!
Sorry. I know it’s super belated now, but I was too busy ranting about the standards of beauty last week to send my love and appreciation to my readers.
Plus, I wanted to see the latest V-day tweets and Instagram posts before tackling…

I consider myself to be a feminist. That is, I believe men and women should have equal rights, opportunities and encouragement to succeed.
I also acknowledge and appreciate the struggles women all across the globe have endured to be recognized as equals to men. I see the continuous fight against body shaming and low…

I am a writer. I write things down after they’ve been swimming around in my head for awhile. Most of the time, I write for myself to try to find some clarity in my life.
That’s where my fault lies. When I write for myself, I hear it in my own voice. I paint pictures…

Dear readers of The Carroll News,
This is a column about giving advice.
How shocking, seeing as how I love to give my weekly two cents in my columns, usually revolving around the typical woes of a college student.
Here’s the thing, though. I’m graduating from college in a little over…

Prepare yourself to hear this question more than you’d like over the next couple of weeks: “What’d you do over winter break?”
If you’re thinking of asking me that question and expecting me to say something cool like I went back to Europe, don’t. Because I didn’t.
I read books and watched…

“This media we call social is anything but, when it’s our computers that we open and our doors that we shut.”
This is one of the opening lines in the viral YouTube video by Gary Turk called “Look Up.” In its essence, this video is an emotionally moving, poetic commentary on our generation’s attachment…

I’ve only got $20 in my pocket.
Literally. I’ve got a $20 bill in my pocket because unfortunately the rest of my cash, along with my laptop, was stolen last week. (If the thief is reading this, I hate you.)
Needless to say, I’ve had some pretty bad luck this semester.…

Imagine a perfect world.
“Imagine there’s no countries. It isn’t hard to do. Imagine all the people, living life in peace…(ooh, ooh, ooohhh).” Thanks, John Lennon.
Now, imagine that there’s no such thing as sleep. Not that you couldn’t sleep, but that you didn’t need to – that you never felt tired…

Close your eyes. Take a deep breath, let your daily worries and stress leave your mind, and come with me to a magical place.
This magical place exists separately from the real world, but it is one of my deepest desires for the future.
It is a world without selfishness. A world without…

I have a confession to make – I’m kind of a bad driver.
Actually, in my defense, I am a good driver on the road. I just have a lot of problems with driveways and parking lots. When I say a lot of problems, I mean an embarrassing amount of problems.
Now,…

What’s your fantasy?
Actually, let me rephrase that. What is your idea of perfection? In other words, how do you fantasize about a perfect life? What do you do in this fantasy? Where do you live? Who are you with?
I fantasize about a lot of things. Practically everything I imagine about…

“Humilitas occidit superbiam.” Humility kills pride. I learned about this phrase during my stay in Italy. (Yes, another column about my trip!) It was, in fact, incorporated into a painting by the Italian artist Caravaggio.
Quick side note here: I’m not an art history major. I have never studied art. Truth be told,…

As promised, I have another juicy topic relating to my Europe trip this past summer to write about extensively this week.
Well, at least I think it’s juicy. Really, it’s more of an observation I made several times throughout my trip and have been reflecting on since returning. The good news is…

Well, hey everybody. We’re back and we are ready (kind of) for another year of college. For myself and many others, it has come to our final year, the home stretch. Per usual, I have mixed emotions about this – excitement, sadness, hopefulness and hella anxiety. However, I feel especially different coming into this year.…

Well, guys, here we are. Or rather, here I am, rounding out my third year at John Carroll and typing up my last column for the year (not to worry, my fans, I’ll be back next year!). Anyways, to say this year has been a learning experience would be a hefty understatement. If I’m being…

This time of year always has me feeling very philosophical for reasons I can’t yet really identify. Perhaps it’s the seemingly endless number of critical analyses I have to read and write for most of my classes, or the promise of summer and freedom provocatively looming in the near future, or the constant reminder that…

The national headquarters of Beta Theta Pi fraternity recently mandated a reorganization of John Carroll University’s Eta Epsilon chapter. This past week, all current members were required to reapply for membership, which was to be determined by an advisory board. In addition, the chapter is no longer allowed to participate in the 2014 Greek Week,…

ing seminar that focused on identifying and understanding different leadership styles. Barf, right? I mean, how many of these things are there? At least a thousand – maybe more. I can’t be sure. Anyways, I went into this seminar expecting it to be the same old song and dance that I’ve seen countless times before.…

Well, it’s here: the final issue for our seniors on staff. I’m not one of these seniors, but I have the pleasure of accepting the columns from Ryllie, Zach and Clara and putting them on the page each week. This is the second year that I have had this job, and I have to say…

I wish I was going to a beach next week for vacation. I mean, the fact that my hand is the same color as the glass of milk that I’m currently drinking is a pretty clear sign that I could use some sun. Plus, who wouldn’t love to frolic in the sand and the ocean…